Break the Box: Can a Car Thief Get Past a BlackVue DR770X Box Dash Cam?

We can’t really watch over our cars physically overnight. We will always have to leave them parked alone, and that’s when thieves usually take the opportunity to sneak around the ride and see what they can get inside. If you have a BlackVue dash cam like the DR770X Box connected to the Cloud via the CM100G LTE module, you can easily track and monitor what’s happening around your vehicle.  

With the Cloud connectivity and the BlackVue DR770X Box installed in your vehicle, you automatically get a companion that can watch over your car around-the-clock. Big thanks to BlackVue’s Parking Mode as well, which can be activated through hardwiring, and extended via the B130X or the PowerCell 8 battery pack.

Whenever anyone walks in front of any of the 3 cameras installed at your discretion around the vehicle, rest assured that the camera will be recording that motion footage, along with any impacts or forced entries attempted. Whether it’s some skulking around, casing the joint, or an act itself, the BlackVue DR770X Box is on the case.

Now, let’s assume that you left your car in a wide, open parking lot where there’s not many people. This gives the car thief more leeway to do what they want to get into your car easily - just like breaking your windows. Again, not many people around so the thief is more confident that no one would hear the glasses breaking!

Not so fast with the DR770X Box. When the dash cam detects a motion or impact, just like bumping on your car’s body and breaking windows, the dash cam can automatically record footage - including seconds before and after the incident, which we call buffered recording. With a standard dash cam, you would need to wait until you returned to the vehicle to find the footage, and then it would be too late. However, with this model, through the BlackVue Cloud, you will also get notified through your BlackVue app that an impact has been detected. Therefore, you can easily take action to catch the thief. Even if they are jimmying the lock, or simply walking around the vehicle, this unit is able to notify you of that motion footage as well.

When that notification is sent to your phone, it will be sent along with a screenshot of what the camera sees, and the clip will be viewable remotely over the cloud. This way, it will be easy for you to differentiate between a harmless squirrel, and a real emergency.

Thieves are familiar with the appearance of typical dash cams. The ones with large screens installed to the windshield are the most visible and appealing to them. In actuality, the larger the dash cam, the bigger the sparkle in their eyes!

We’ve definitely heard a few stories about the main item in a vehicle being stolen is the dash cam itself, and the irony is not lost on BlackVue.

This is not a problem with the DR770X Box. BlackVue developed this dash cam differently, including three small cameras for the front, interior, and rear, as well as the main event - the Box. This box is created independently of the cameras and houses the BlackVue dash cam's processor, WiFi connection, and memory card. Aside from the cameras being so small, the Box itself can be hidden in the glove compartment or under the seat.

Worse case - let’s say the thief was able to get in the car. You’re miles away from the car. You didn’t see the notification. You didn’t manage to check the footage or the Cloud. The thief then discovers your dash cam and tries to destroy the cameras so you can’t capture their faces. Even besides the Box, each camera unit presents its own difficulty to break into, as all three of them come with their own tamper-proof casing. This casing prevents the cabling from being unplugged, and the camera being easily taken off the mount.

Even worse - they successfully destroyed all 3 cameras! Once the main unit itself has been disconnected from the box unit, the Box itself will enter into an emergency mode, blaring loud and proud like a true car alarm.

With that, the clock is ticking for the thief, in which they run the risk of a passerby being notified by the alarm, or for you to check your phone for remote footage. Following where the Box itself is located from the cameras is near impossible, as the wires will likely be run through the frame of your vehicle, disappearing with little trace from the units.

Finally, after frantically searching for it, they find the box, possibly under your seat, or even locked away itself, in your glovebox. What now? Even with its location revealed, the Box itself is still no easy target, coming with its own safety measures.

Beyond that, the power cable and SD card slot are not accessible either, with its own tamper-proof locking cover, covering both. The only way past this is with 1 of 2 special keys, once more included with the DR770X Box.

Let us take you to a more complicated level. For example, you’re traveling to another state and you left your car parked at home - with no one to watch over. Someone tries to break into your car, and you missed the notifications from your BlackVue or are too tied up to act quickly.

Here’s a fact - a car theft can be done as fast as ten seconds. The minute you missed the notification, a lot can already happen. But with the BlackVue Cloud features of the DR770X Box, you can take control of your car wherever you are in the world. Even if the thief has already accessed your car and begun driving it, you can easily scare them away by activating Two-Way Voice Communication.

The front camera of the DR770X Box has a built-in microphone and speaker, so if you talk to the dash cam, the thief will hear what you are saying. It’s like an automatic phone call, plus you can track the exact location through the GPS-tracking of the dash cam. Easier for you to threaten and scare the thief, while it is also collecting enough information on where the thief is heading!  

Advanced BlackVue cameras also have the option for Geo-Fencing, notifying you when your vehicle has left a manually set area, as needed.

Here’s another scenario. Let’s say you’re about to go to your car when you personally see the thieves trying to break in! You catch their attention. They see you, run away and get into another car with their accomplice.

While your car is secure, you want to catch them so you're in for a chase - not only for the adrenaline rush, but also to report them to the cops! With the video resolution of your DR770X Box, your dash cam will capture 1080P full HD at up to 60 frames per second, giving you smoother videos even when the cars in front of you are driving away. When you report them, you will have substantial evidence of the thieves’ cars and license plates.

We believe that one of the reasons some passengers are hesitant to book ride-sharing services is that they do not know the driver - and the driver is the one behind the wheel, so they have complete control over the destination. However, in some cases, it’s the other way around, and the driver is the one in danger.

Some Lyft and Uber drivers have also been victims of car thieves. They’re driving with the goal to drive you safely, while the criminal passengers’ goal is to steal from them or the car itself! If you have the DR770X Box, you can easily capture their faces, plus the whole incident - thanks to the dash cam’s triple-channel configuration that captures front, rear, and even what’s going on inside the cabin!

And regardless of the time, whether you’re driving your Lyft or Uber, day or night, you will have a clear view of the interior footage as the DR770X Box has an IR camera that can record even in dark situations. And even if you’re inside the car, the thief won’t notice if you’re trying to record events manually, as the DR770X includes a coin battery-powered remote Bluetooth button that can be used to bookmark your evidence, or send it to the cloud remote storage.

We are confident that the DR770X Box can provide you the protection you need, although there might possibly be some shortcomings depending on the situation. In this last section we hope to cover all the bases, and any shortcomings the system might have.

When it comes to total security, some might want a 4-channel setup highlighting the left and right sides of the vehicle, as well as the front and back. The DR770X Box is only a 3-channel setup that can only cover the front, interior and rear, though that interior camera is a full 180°. For those looking for such a setup, we would recommend adding a standalone BlackVue unit for the rear, or making that a 2-channel for a full 5-channel setup.If you’re not connected to the Cloud which requires the internet, you might also have a problem, so a CM100G LTE module is a great addition.

Beyond that, the main enemy here is time. Unfortunately, like most camera systems, the DR770X Box won’t be completely idle while it protects your vehicle, and there will be power draw. Traditionally, these cameras would be wired to your car battery, drawing its power. It’s also crucial to ensure that your Parking Mode and battery will work for longer periods of time and the battery packs can do the trick here.

There will still be possible shortcomings, but thankfully, BlackVue still has efficient solutions to lessen them here.